Professional

Sadly, peak fed and peak backhand federer chronologically do no overlap chronologically with Djokovic's rise. In fact, dare I say if federer were as aggressive as he is now with the backhand he hits in lets say 2009-2010 he would already have 20 majors by the end of 2010. Djoker started to break down Federer's backhand when Federer was 28-29, I believe Djoker was 23-24 at this time?

G.O.A.T.

GOAT status cannot be based on a single year of tennis. I agree that it's the best year ever sure. But Nole hasn't earned the GOAT status yet. Dont forget that Federer beat him at RG ending the streak plus nearly lost to Roger if not for a freak desperation shot on match point. Roger Federer is the greatest player to ever walk. Accept this please!

Semi-Pro

GOAT status cannot be based on a single year of tennis. I agree that it's the best year ever sure. But Nole hasn't earned the GOAT status yet. Dont forget that Federer beat him at RG ending the streak plus nearly lost to Roger if not for a freak desperation shot on match point. Roger Federer is the greatest player to ever walk. Accept this please!

2011 was out of the world, purely amazing to watch until the end of the US Open. He then fell apart. If he kept that form up and won the WTF, too, I'd put that as the best single tennis season ever. That one part of the season soils it.

G.O.A.T.

Sadly, peak fed and peak backhand federer chronologically do no overlap chronologically with Djokovic's rise. In fact, dare I say if federer were as aggressive as he is now with the backhand he hits in lets say 2009-2010 he would already have 20 majors by the end of 2010. Djoker started to break down Federer's backhand when Federer was 28-29, I believe Djoker was 23-24 at this time?

Hall of Fame

I haven't seen Pre-Sampras era, so if I have to put absolute-demon-beast-mode-god-mode-once-in-a-life-time-single-day-peak-form of a player on his best day, on his best surface.. Ranking it based on both peak level + surface, it would be

G.O.A.T.

I haven't seen Pre-Sampras era, so if I have to put absolute-demon-beast-mode-god-mode-once-in-a-life-time-single-day-peak-form of a player on his best day, on his best surface.. Ranking it based on both peak level + surface, it would be

G.O.A.T.

G.O.A.T.

The OP is correct. Fanboys of TTW will not like it but the greats of the game have more or less agreed on this. If I had to pick one player to play for my life, and it was a random surface, I would pick Djokovic 2011 without a doubt.

Sampras:“At least in my lifetime, the best ever”, Sampras told the Palm Beach Post. He also labeled it “one of the best achievements in all of sports.”

McEnroe:“Novak has taken tennis to new heights”, said the American.“Djokovic is having the greatest year in the history of our sport, there’s no doubt about it”, he said. “He bewildered Nadal. I’ve never seen Nadal look as if he doesn’t know what to do – and even on clay in Rome Djokovic made him look like that.”

“Wimbledon was where he separated himself and took himself to a whole new level. He beat Nadal six times in one year and, considering the year Nadal had in 2010, that’s pretty hard to do.”

Courier:“Novak has two guys who have won double-digit majors, and they are both healthy, and he’s still dominating them”, said Jim Courier, the United States Davis Cup captain and a former world no.1. “That’s what’s most impressive about this season, probably.”

Federer did not have two men of his stature to manhandle at his peak. Djokovic has two players of superior stature to underscore his state of grace. “That’s why this feels more astounding to me”, Courier said.

Connors:
"What he has done in the last year, not only with his game, but his conditioning, I don't know what it is. I don't even know if he knows what it is. But if he could bottle that and sell it, it would be unbelievable."

Becker:
"This man has produced arguably the greatest season in tennis history."

G.O.A.T.

The OP is correct. Fanboys of TTW will not like it but the greats of the game have more or less agreed on this. If I had to pick one player to play for my life, and it was a random surface, I would pick Djokovic 2011 without a doubt.

Sampras:“At least in my lifetime, the best ever”, Sampras told the Palm Beach Post. He also labeled it “one of the best achievements in all of sports.”

McEnroe:“Novak has taken tennis to new heights”, said the American.“Djokovic is having the greatest year in the history of our sport, there’s no doubt about it”, he said. “He bewildered Nadal. I’ve never seen Nadal look as if he doesn’t know what to do – and even on clay in Rome Djokovic made him look like that.”

“Wimbledon was where he separated himself and took himself to a whole new level. He beat Nadal six times in one year and, considering the year Nadal had in 2010, that’s pretty hard to do.”

Courier:“Novak has two guys who have won double-digit majors, and they are both healthy, and he’s still dominating them”, said Jim Courier, the United States Davis Cup captain and a former world no.1. “That’s what’s most impressive about this season, probably.”

Federer did not have two men of his stature to manhandle at his peak. Djokovic has two players of superior stature to underscore his state of grace. “That’s why this feels more astounding to me”, Courier said.

Connors:
"What he has done in the last year, not only with his game, but his conditioning, I don't know what it is. I don't even know if he knows what it is. But if he could bottle that and sell it, it would be unbelievable."

Becker:
"This man has produced arguably the greatest season in tennis history."

His standard was extremely high indeed. However, I disagree it was the greatest. I have always believed that Federer 4 years after his peak showed in the French Open and the US Open that Nole was actually quite playable.

In your opinion it is. In my opinion and in the mind of the greats of the game (those who have won 4 Slams or more, and who have a better idea than anyone on here of how to win a Slam), it is not. For one thing, 2006's competition that year was forgettable compared to 2011 where he redlined for months against a very formidable field.

Semi-Pro

His standard was extremely high indeed. However, I disagree it was the greatest. I have always believed that Federer 4 years after his peak showed in the French Open and the US Open that Nole was actually quite playable.

It's amazing how Novak 2011 is on such a pedestal bc he took people by surprise and dominated. Fed 06 was easily more impressive, but he'd already been dominant since 04 so it gets overlooked. Nadal 2008, 10, 13 were great as well, but again, they weren't such a shock. Ultron was getting his booty handed to him, then he FINALLY beat his daddy in a slam and fanboys came in their pants and it was sooooo amazing

G.O.A.T.

Fed did two three slam years back to back (and made the final of the fourth one both times too).

Show me literally anyone else who has done that.
Not Djokovic. Not Sampras. Not even Laver.

The pattern is always to have a massive year (Djok 2011, 2015, Nadal 2010, Laver 1969) and then have the results drop. This always happens, with no exceptions...

...except Federer.

Three slam year...
Two slam year.
Three slam year...

Aaaand... Boom.
Three slam year.

And no absences, early losses, or walkabouts in there either. 18/19 consecutive slam finals made. That's not semis. That's finals.

Nobody has ever got close to any of that. In terms of a single season Djoker 2011 and 15 are right there with him, maybe even better, but when you zoom out a little you quickly see how unparalleled this sh*t is.

Legend

Not sure what the difference is between those two terms....but my point stands. Federer beat Nole at the French Open and was only 1 point away in the US Open - despite being 4 year on from his peak. That tells me that no, it wasn't the best ever standard.

Semi-Pro

Only question marks are that he lost to Federer in FO and almost Lost to him again in US Open finals , but considering Federer's stature , it should not be suprising. I don't consider 2011 peak Federer but he was still playing better than almost any ATGs, that's why that season is right up there.